Yellowstone officials consider closing Sylvan Pass

Cheyenne, WY – Yellowstone National Park officials say the number of people who cross Sylvan Pass during the winter might not justify the expense of keeping the pass open. Sylvan Pass is located just inside Yellowstone's east entrance. The area is prone to avalanches and park rangers work hard during the winter to reduce the threat of avalanches to snowmobilers.

Only 97 snowmobiles used the east entrance this past winter and no snowcoach tours passed through the east gate. The park spends $325,000 each winter to keep Sylvan Pass open to snowmobiles and snowcoaches.

The economic feasibility of keeping the pass open during the winter was the subject of a recent meeting in Laurel, Mont. Yellowstone officials met with local officials from Park County.